Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy

by Diana Palmer

  Veronica’s hand flew to her mouth. “Poor Beth.”

  “She left when he started in on their son.”

  Ted’s normally good-humored expression had disappeared, revealing the strength of the man beneath—a man who valued his family, and wouldn’t put up with anyone hurting someone he loved. He’d been like that in school, defending his sister and her friends from any guy who tried something. He’d even defended Veronica, and she’d never forgotten it.

  His cell buzzed, and he took it out of his pocket to check the message.

  “Pizza’s ready.”

  She went toward the hall door. “Then let’s go and get it.”

  * * *

  Despite the fact that they hadn’t seen each other for ten years, walking across the street beside Veronica felt like the most natural thing in the world. Her being in his apartment also felt right—as if she’d brought something with her that lit up his life. She’d always been the most positive person he’d known, and, despite her jerk of an ex, she’d obviously retained that quality.

  He held the door of the pizza place open and followed her inside. The rich smell of bubbling cheese, garlic, and roasted tomatoes hit him square in the face and he breathed it in like oxygen. In his opinion, pizza made everything better.

  “Hey!” His nephew grinned at him. “Back again? You should take shares in this place.”

  Ted pretended to frown at his favorite relative. “Don’t tell your mother, okay?”

  “I’ll think about it if you give me a decent tip,” Mikey replied, his amused gaze falling on Veronica who was openly laughing up at Ted.

  “This is Veronica. She’s staying with me over the holidays.” Ted pointed at his nephew. “This is Beth’s son, Mikey. He’s a pain in the ass, but I still love him.”

  “I can tell.” Veronica smiled at Mikey. “It’s good to meet you.”

  Mikey nodded, his eyes wide as saucers. Any second now Ted figured he’d be getting a call from his sister about the strange woman in his life and why hadn’t he told her?

  “Did you guys meet online?” Mikey asked totally innocently as Veronica handed him her credit card.

  “Nope, we went to kindergarten together. I grew up on the Hernandez farm.”

  “Victor’s place? We get a lot of our pizza ingredients from him. Gina says his tomatoes are the best.” Mikey eyed Ted speculatively. “Well, I can tell you that my uncle’s a good guy, and that my mom says he needs to stop being so boring, get out there, and live a little.”

  “Thanks for the rec, Mikey.” Ted raised his eyebrows. “Maybe you could check on that pizza?”

  He braced himself as Mikey went to the back of the store, and Veronica looked up at him, a smile dancing on her lips.

  “You need to get out more?”

  “Apparently.” Ted tried to keep his cool. “But please don’t listen to my nephew. He’s hardly an unbiased source.”

  “He’s charming,” Veronica added as she signed the receipt and placed it back on the counter. “Must run in the family.”

  Luckily for Ted, who was definitely starting to blush, the door behind him opened and he turned in relief to greet whoever was coming in.

  “Hey.” Tucker Hayes, who was the general manager of his family’s historic hotel and Ted’s best friend, nodded at him. “You ready for the big day? I was just going to knock on your door so you saved me a trip. Avery said to come by and pick up your shirt tomorrow.”

  His interested gaze went past Ted and focused on his companion.

  “Veronica, right? Vic’s niece.”

  “Wow, you have a good memory.” Veronica stepped forward and shook Tucker’s proffered hand.

  “It helps in my business.” Tucker shrugged modestly. “Are you here for the holidays?”

  “Yes, I was supposed to be staying with my uncle, but he’s gone off on a cruise, so I’m staying with Ted.” She smiled at him. “I hear Avery’s getting married?”

  “Yeah, to Ry Morgan. They’ve been engaged for ages. Avery wanted to get through her last set of surgeries, and make sure she felt one hundred percent before she walked down the aisle.”

  “I remember her barrel-racing accident,” Veronica said softly. “I also remember how sweet Ry Morgan was on her at school. I’m not surprised they’ve fallen in love.”

  “You should pop by with Ted tomorrow and say hi. She’d love to see you,” Tucker said.

  She looked hopefully at Ted and he nodded. “We’ll walk over after breakfast.”

  As they left with the pizza, Ted realized how nice it was not having to explain everything and everyone in Morgan Valley to his companion. She knew all his friends and most of his family. And they all had a sense of her because she was already part of their community.

  “Everyone’s being so nice,” Veronica said as if aware of the direction of his thoughts. “I feel like I’ve never been away.” She sighed, her breath frosting in the frigid air. “I wish I’d come back sooner. Jason, my ex, wouldn’t let me go anywhere without him. If I’d brought him here, my family would’ve seen what a miserable excuse for a human being he was, and defended me.”

  Ted tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow as they crossed the street, the snow crunching beneath their booted feet.

  “Was he afraid you wouldn’t come back if you went alone?” Ted reached the side door and took off his glove to find the key in his pocket.

  “I’m not sure I would’ve gone back.” Veronica followed him inside, wiped her feet on the mat, and took off her knitted hat. “But he didn’t let me have any money or access to the bank account so I couldn’t go far without him.”

  “That’s . . .” Ted tried to think of something that wouldn’t come out as a curse and failed miserably. “Awful.”

  “Yes, it was.” She unbuttoned her coat and followed him up the stairs, her cheeks red with cold. “He told me his first wife left him for another man, and that he was just being extra careful with me. It didn’t matter how many times I told him I’d never do that, he’d made up his mind.” A wry smile tugged at her lips. “The funny thing is, that in the end, it turned out he was the one who was having an affair, not me.”

  “Wow, what a piece of shit.” Ted was done trying to be polite.

  “She turned up at our house one day, and told me to set him free so that she could love him properly.” Veronica hung her coat on the hook. “She was so young, and so deadly earnest that it was really hard not to laugh in her face.”

  “What did you do?” Ted asked.

  “I started making the plans I should’ve made years before. I set up my own bank account, made sure my employer started sending my checks to it, and went out to find an apartment of my own.” She grimaced. “It was hard because I didn’t have much of a credit history, but my employer stood by me, and I lucked out with a rent-controlled apartment in a decent neighborhood close to work.”

  She walked into the kitchen, her head held high. “I retained a divorce lawyer, moved out, and served Jason the papers before he even knew what hit him.”

  “Good for you,” Ted said, his admiration increasing with every second. He got two more beers out of the refrigerator. “It sounds like you made the right decision.”

  Jeez, Ted knew it wasn’t his fight, and that Veronica didn’t need his help, but he wished he could meet her ex in a dark alley and explain a few things to him. . . .

  “His new girlfriend, Marissa, moved in with him two days after I left.” Veronica searched the drawers for the pizza cutter and brought it over to the counter where Ted had placed the boxes. “She kind of reminded me of myself when I first met him and was so dazzled by his charm that I wouldn’t have believed anything bad about him.”

  “She’ll probably work it out eventually.” Ted passed Veronica a paper plate. “Or, when he meets wife number four.”

  “Who will be even younger than Marissa if he stays true to form.” Her smile was sad. “I wasted ten years of my life on that jerk, so in a weird way she did me a favor by tur
ning up on my doorstep.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re rid of him.” Ted held her gaze. “He didn’t deserve you.”

  “Totally agree.” She picked up her beer and clinked it against his. “Now, what about you? Why aren’t you married and settled down?”

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, after Ted had done everything possible to avoid answering her original question, Veronica finally had him cornered and sitting opposite her at the table.

  “So why aren’t you in a relationship?”

  He blew out a breath and slowly shook his head. “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “Nope. You’re a good-looking guy, you run a successful family business, and from what I can tell, you’re not afraid of talking to women. So what is it?”

  “I live in an apartment with my dad.”

  “So you can’t bring anyone back here?” Veronica frowned. “Don’t the women in Morgan Valley have their own homes?”

  “Of course they do.” He looked down at his pizza and started on another slice. “I just haven’t met anyone who’s made me want to get serious with them, and in a small town, if I mess up, I still get to see them every day and that could get awkward.”

  “You have dated though, right?”

  His head came up. “I’m not a complete loser.”

  “I didn’t think you were—in fact I’m surprised you haven’t been inundated.” She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “I seem to remember you were like that at school, totally oblivious to any hints us girls put out to you.”

  “Oh, I noticed.” He took a swig of beer. “Hard not to when you come back to your truck after a football game and there are two half-naked cheerleaders in your back seat.”

  Veronica’s mouth fell open. “Who was it?”

  “The Hardcastle twins. They always did everything together.”

  She leaned forward. “Did you—”

  “Dude, no!” He looked revolted. “I wasn’t into that. I sent them HW Morgan’s way.” He set his pizza down. “Maybe I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get the hints.”

  Veronica wrinkled her nose. “How so?”

  “Maybe the girl I wanted to look back at me only saw me as a friend.”

  “Who did you like?” Veronica asked. “Because if she’s still in town, and I know her, maybe—”

  He suddenly stood up, picked up his plate, and headed for the kitchen. “Do you want any more pizza? Or shall I put on some more coffee?”

  She stared at the back of his head as her brain finally caught up with her mouth.

  “Ted?”

  “What?” He didn’t turn around.

  “Were you talking about me?”

  “Might have been.” He shrugged, still keeping his back to her. “But it was a long time ago.”

  Veronica picked up her plate and joined him in the kitchen. “It never occurred to me that—”

  “Of course it didn’t. You were one of the popular kids, and I was just one of the crowd. That’s why I didn’t say anything. You probably would’ve laughed at me.”

  Instinctively, she reached out and touched his back. “I wouldn’t have laughed. You were always so kind to me.”

  “Kind, yeah, but not boyfriend material.” He finally turned to look at her, and slowly grinned. “I bet you wish you hadn’t started this conversation now. And for the record, I haven’t spent the last ten years pining over you.”

  “I would hope not,” Veronica rallied. “Because that would’ve been stupid, and you’re not that kind of guy. And, considering the choices I did make when I was a teenager, you should probably be relieved you weren’t my type.”

  He got down two mugs and leaned back against the countertop, his arms crossed, and a thoughtful look on his face.

  “What?” Veronica asked.

  “I didn’t think I was going to stay in Morgantown. I never looked for a permanent relationship because I guess I didn’t want anyone to tie me down here.” He grimaced. “That’s probably the closest to the truth I’ve ever come to admitting to anyone including myself.”

  “Then why did you stay?” Veronica held his gaze.

  “All kinds of reasons.” He smiled and turned back to the coffee. “Too many to bore you with right now. Do you want to get some cream out of the refrigerator for your coffee?”

  Chapter Three

  After taking Bacon out for a short morning stroll on his leash around the rear of the gas station, Veronica went back up to the apartment. She couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Ted the night before. Why hadn’t he left town, and why did she care that he seemed to have somehow given up? She hadn’t seen him for ten years; she had no right to pry into his life. But, as her uncle Vic had always told her, sometimes a person appeared in your life for a reason, and maybe her purpose was to get Ted out of his rut.

  She walked into a cloud of steam and the sound of whistling and almost dropped Bacon as Ted came out of his bathroom with just a towel around his hips and nothing else.

  “Sorry.” He took such a hasty step backward that he collided with the bathroom doorframe. “I forgot you were here.”

  “It’s okay.” Veronica waved away the steam, feeling as if she was in one of those dream sequences from a movie when a handsome hunk stepped out of the shower. “It’s not like I’ve never seen a man’s body before.”

  Feigning nonchalance, she walked past him and into the second bathroom where she put Bacon on the floor and checked the mirror to make sure her tongue wasn’t actually hanging out.

  Jason was short and lean, and Ted . . . was definitely neither of those things. He had actual abs, and those line thingies that she could never remember the name of that angled diagonally down from his hip to his . . . groin.

  Veronica fed her pig and then splashed water on her flushed face. The only reason she was reacting so positively to Ted’s body was because she hadn’t had sex with an actual person for three years. It was perfectly understandable and natural and nothing to worry about.

  She went back into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, appreciating the wave of cold air.

  “I thought we could get breakfast at Yvonne’s, and then walk over to see Avery at the hotel. I’m one of Ry’s groomsmen so I’ve got to look the part.”

  She turned as Ted came up behind her. He was now completely dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a thick flannel shirt. He’d also shaved, which was a pity in her opinion.

  “Is that a new café?” She took her time closing the refrigerator door.

  “It’s been here a while. Yvonne did her culinary training in France so she’s an amazing pastry and bread maker.”

  “Sounds awesome.” She smiled brightly at him, mentally picturing those fine abs hidden by his shirt. “I’ll just get my coat.”

  * * *

  Ted glanced down at his companion as they walked along the street toward Yvonne’s. He could already smell the coffee, but that wasn’t the only reason he was feeling so upbeat and optimistic. There was something about Veronica that just made him wake up and appreciate life more. Sure, she asked him awkward questions, but she also didn’t judge his answers, or make him feel guilty. He liked that, and she was definitely making him think.

  The trouble was, the more he thought, the more ashamed he became of how he’d sat back and let life pass him by.

  “Hey!” Yvonne approached the table as he and Veronica sat down. “I heard you had someone staying with you. I’m glad you brought her in.”

  Veronica held out her hand. “I’m Veronica Hernandez. I’m waiting for my uncle Victor to come home from his cruise because we got our dates mixed up. Ted very kindly let me stay with him.”

  “You’re Victor’s niece? He has the best local produce.” Yvonne winked at Ted. “I do hope you’re going to persuade Veronica to stick around and continue the family business.”

  Ted held up his hands. “Nothing to do with me.”

  Yvonne gave them both menus. “What can I get you to drink?”
/>
  By the time they’d refilled their coffee twice and eaten their food, Ted reckoned that half the town had come by their table to say hi or just ogle his guest. Who would’ve thought him bringing a woman into the café would’ve caused such a stir? Was he really such a loner?

  And Veronica had been great with everyone; her interest in their lives was not feigned, but completely genuine, and it showed. A number of people had given him a thumbs-up behind her back or an encouraging wink, which was totally embarrassing. They were all going to be disappointed when they realized he and Veronica were just friends. He stared at her as she finished her coffee. Dammit, he was going to be disappointed if that’s all they ever were.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Ted started, as she looked him right in the eye.

  “Nothing, I was just . . .” He wasn’t stupid enough to share his revolutionary thought. She’d probably go running out the door and back to L.A. before he finished the sentence. “Thinking we should get a move on. I’ve got to take a shift at the gas pumps at lunchtime, so I’ll need to get back.”

  “Sure!” She immediately pocketed her phone, and stood up to put on her jacket. “I can’t wait to see Avery.”

  He helped her with her coat, and then put on his own before waving good-bye to Yvonne and heading back out onto Main Street. The snow had hardened into a firm crispness that made walking on it far easier than the night before. Veronica looped her arm through his and he slowed his pace to accommodate her shorter strides.

  “It’s so beautiful here.” Veronica sighed as she looked around and then out at the towering black peaks of the Sierra Nevadas. “It makes you forget that you’re soon going to be cut off from civilization, and praying every night that the power stays on.”

  “I hear you.” Ted chuckled. “I’ve got my own generator, if that makes you feel any better. And I kind of like it—the isolation and the quietness that descends when the gold country tourists can’t get to us. It’s like we’ve stepped back in time.”